Overview & Reviews

Nissan was born in Japan, and like other marques from its homeland, the brand is known for crafting vehicles that place an emphasis on quality and reliability. The company's roster of products is broad, and includes sporty coupes, family sedans, minivans, trucks and SUVs.

The automaker got its start in 1933 as the Jidosha Seico Co., Ltd. The following year, this outfit merged with another Japanese manufacturer, and the new company was christened Nissan Motor Company, Ltd. Nissan initially marketed its vehicles under the Datsun brand, with the first Datsuns being built in 1934. Postwar, the brand made its presence felt worldwide, building a partnership with the U.K.-based Austin Motor Co. and establishing a presence in the United States. The first Datsuns hit American shores in 1958. Vehicles like the Datsun 1000 were based on Austin platforms.

The '60s witnessed Nissan's merger with Prince Motor Company, a union that helped the Asian manufacturer create more luxury-focused vehicles. In the U.S. it began offering its first vehicle styled for the U.S. market, the Datsun 510 sedan. By the end of the decade, Datsun had exported more than 1 million vehicles. Datsun rose to prominence in the 1970s on the popularity of its 240Z sports car. Powered by an inline six-cylinder engine, the car was coveted for its blend of style, performance and affordability. By the time the '70s drew to a close, the automaker's cumulative vehicle exports had surpassed the 10 million mark.

In 1981, Nissan shelved the Datsun name and began selling vehicles worldwide under the Nissan moniker. The '80s also saw Nissan's launch of a tuning division called Nismo for the development of performance-oriented vehicles and accessories. Nissan also brought its production to American shores, with the construction of a Georgia-based plant.

The early '90s saw Nissan's fortunes rise in the U.S. thanks to fun-to-drive cars like the 300ZX, Maxima and Sentra. But this trend didn't last long and by the late '90s Nissan's offerings consisted of anonymous vehicles. The company's future was uncertain.

After the turn of the new century Nissan bounced back, helped by a 1999 alliance with Renault that boosted the company's finances. Its redesigned Sentra and Altima boosted sales and consumer interest, as did new models like the 350Z sports car, Armada SUV and Titan pickup. Today the manufacturer is known for offering a wide range of well-regarded vehicles, including the popular Murano SUV, the incredible GT-R supercar and the all-electric Leaf.

User Reviews:

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  Great Car - 1996 Nissan Maxima
  By cwf2044 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  The Nissan Maxima is a fabulous car. It provides the comfort of a sedan with the pep of a sports car. My previous vehicle was a 1987 Nissan 300Z. I put over 200,000 miles on it with few problems. The Maxima features a similar engine and I expect similar reliability. The only draw- backs are the brakes and fuel economy. The brakes are squeeky and are only average reagarding reliablility. Also, the Maxima demands 92 gas beacuase of the performance engine. I had to replace an anti-knock sensor for using regular (87) fuel. It still gets good mileage though.

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  3 years old and love it - 2003 Nissan Maxima
  By LUV_IT - December 24 - 2:00 am

  Have a 2000 GLE that I drive to airport and back. 3 years old now and just turned 10K miles, totally pampered. Still smells and runs like new. Havent had one problem since I bought, only in for oil change / tire rotation. The way Im putting miles on this baby Ill probably be getting classic car plates for it. Great car for the $$

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  great little sports car!!!! - 2003 Nissan Sentra
  By thenebean9 - December 24 - 2:00 am

  i just bought this car a couple of weeks ago, and i cant stop driving it! it is so much fun to just drive around, and EVERYONE turns to look! (especially since my car is in sunburst yellow!) you dont see many spec-vs out on the road, and its nice if you want a car that will get people looking in your direction! it also drives like a little power house...quick starts, smooth shifting, i cant get enough of it!

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  Funnest car ever driven!!! - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Lullenium - December 24 - 2:00 am

  I was going crazy looking for mid-size cars, until I stopped at the Nissan dealer,this car has style,performance and reliability all wrapped up in one package. The price was great, the options that came were what I needed. Honda and Toyota would have charged me $3000 more for the same options I got in the Altima. Very fun to drive, worth every penny if you are looking for a dependable and stylish car set at just the right price.

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  Nothing Like It! - 2003 Nissan Murano
  By BGM - December 22 - 7:06 pm

  When we bought it, there was truly nothing like it on the market... CVT tranny, 18" wheels. It is a blast to drive and extremely practical. Drives and handles like a powerful sports sedan but sits you up higher and more comfortably more like a SUV or mini van. (But this for sure aint no mini van...) We still get tons of compliments on it and it almost two years old. This is a real machine.

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  So far, so good! - 2004 Nissan Pathfinder
  By r6girl - December 22 - 10:00 am

  This is my second Nissan - my last vehicle was an Xterra and we were looking for a bit more room and towing capacity. My husband didnt particularly like the looks of the Pathfinder (though I like it a lot!), but it was a great deal since the new 05 models are arriving and dealers are working to get the 04s off their lots. My Xterra was very reliable and fun to drive, and the Pathfinder is the same, but with more power and comfort features. We tow our motorcycles to local race-tracks and look forward to the added power. If the 4-wheel drive system is as effective as the one on my Xterra, it should be great to drive in the snowy mountains this winter when we go snowboarding.

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  Fully Decked Armada - 2004 Nissan Armada
  By mycamel - December 22 - 10:00 am

  We looked at all of the large luxuary SUVs and drove the ones we liked. All of them had limited leg room for rear passengers. We first saw the Armada going down the street in downtown Las Vegas. We both did a double take and loved the styling. Within days of returning home, we test drove and bought the Armada. Going from a nice leather mini van to a V8 loaded SUV is a great feeling. Tonight we went to dinner, cranked the Bose, opened the moonroof and grinned all the way back home. The only interuption was the sweet voice of the GPS nav system telling us how to get back home. With 1000 miles on the OD, it might be too early to judge, but we love it so far!!!!!!

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  My "new" baby - 2004 Nissan Murano
  By Twin620 - December 22 - 10:00 am

  I just got my Morano in July. I absolutely adore it! Its fun to drive, handles amazingly and rides extremely smooth. It has great acceleration when getting on the highway. The ONLY negative thing I can say about it is the fuel economy. I have been getting approximately 16.5 MPG. Id been hoping for better gas mileage, but I truly love it and wouldnt hesitate to buy another one!

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  My New Car - 2003 Nissan Altima
  By Ben Mendoza - December 22 - 10:00 am

  My Altima color is Sunset, it looks expensive, handles like a sport car and is good on gas. My son is over 6ft.,there is plenty of leg and head room,we can fit five, and it being a four door, we can get in and out very easy.

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  Best Truck On The Road - 2005 Nissan Titan
  By Mark McKune - December 22 - 3:33 am

  I have owned my Titan since November, the Titan is a 10. The interior is very functional and spacious, it is almost impossible to use all the interior space. With 5 adults there was additional leg room for both the front and rear seat passengers. Even with the offroad package the truck rides smooth. The Driver Memory system with the power adjustable pedals makes it easy for my wife to drive. The dash is easy to read and driver friendly. Powerful truck and everyone I have let drive it says they must have one. Nissan has really done it this time.